BRIEF – ME! – DAILY NEWS BRIEFING

In today’s briefing update, the body of Iran’s top commander has returned to his hometown for burial. Tuesday’s ceremonies marked the end of three days of mourning. 

In the US, the Defence Secretary has contradicted President Trump by saying the US will not target Iranian cultural sites. He said they will follow the laws of armed conflict. 

France commemorates the Charlie Hedbo attack, five years on. 12 cartoonists at the magazine were killed when two brothers attacked. They claim they were avenging the publication of cartoons of Prophet Mohammed that were deemed offensive by many Muslims. 

In the UK, a 36-year-old, dubbed “the most prolific rapist in British legal history” has received a life sentence. His charges include 136 rapes. 

Entertainment, a “grade A”pupil has admitted mugging singer Katherine Jenkins and says she wants to apologise!

All this and more in today’s news briefing – A daily roundup of all the news headlines that you need to know, summarised as part of WTX News Briefing.

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Soleimani’s body arrives in Kerman for burial

Aljazeera says the remains of top Iranian commander Qassem Soleimani arrived in his hometown of Kerman for burial on Tuesday.

On Monday, hundreds of thousands of mourners gathered in the capital Tehran and the city of Qom for his funeral procession.

State television showed tens of thousands of people on Kerman’s streets carrying Iranian flags and images of the general, as hymns of mourning blasted from loudspeakers.

In what was a day of mourning for the Iranians 40 people have been killed in a stampede during the burial ceremony.

Tuesday’s ceremonies marked the end of a three-day mourning period for the commander who was assassinated on Friday in a US airstrike in Baghdad. 

Read the full story on Aljazeera

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Esper contradicts Trump on targetting Iranian cultural sites

CNN says Secretary of Defense Mark Esper on Monday contradicted President Trump by asserting the US would not target Iranian cultural sites amid rising tensions after a US strike that killed top commander Soleimani. 

“We will follow the laws of armed conflict,” Esper told CNN. 

When pressed if that meant not targeting cultural sites, Esper replied,  “That’s the law of armed conflict.”

Read the full story on CNN

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France commemorates Charlie Hebdo terror attack, five years on

France24 says “nothing will ever be the as before,” predicted the Paris Mayor after two gunmen massacred cartoonists at the Charlie Hebdo satirical magazine in Paris five years ago. 

The magazine has a history of mocking religions and was the first in a series of assaults that have killed more than 250 since 2015, mostly at the hands of French-born jihadists.  

The Kouachi brothers killed 12 people at Charlie Hedbo and said they were avenging the publication of cartoons of the Prophet Mohammed deemed offensive by many Muslims. 

Read the full story on France24

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Reynhard Singaga: ‘Evil sexual predator’ jailed for life for 136 rapes

BBC News says a man convicted of 159 sex offences, including 136 rapes, will “never be safe to be released,” a judge has said. 

Reynhard Sinaga has been found guilty of luring 48 men from outside Manchester clubs to his flat, where he drugged and assaulted them – filming the attacks. 

Police say they have evidence that he targeted at least 190 victims and he has been called “the most prolific rapist in British legal history” by The Crown Prosecution Service (CPS).

Read the full story on BBC News

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‘Grade A’ pupil, 15, admits to mugging Katherine Jenkins

Sky News says a “grade A” pupil admitted to mugging singer Katherine Jenkins for her £500 iPhone and has said she is willing to apologise. 

The 15-year-old girl attacked the opera singer after the star stepped in to help a woman during a street robbery in Chelsea, West London last month. 

Jenkins was in the capital to sing at the Henry Van Straubenzee charity carol concert at St Luke’s Church on the day of the incident on 4 December. 

Read the full story on Sky News

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